Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, are traumatic events that happen in childhood, ages 0-18 years old.ACEs include; experiencing violence, abuse, neglect and witnessing violence in the home or community. These experiences also include; a family member attempt or die by suicide or witnessing someone being locked up.By these events occurring while the individual is still within their development years, the experiences and understanding of these events has an affect on them now and later.

Adverse Childhood Experiences & Its Connection To Trauma

A fundamental idea in Psychology is that all of the experiences that you have as a child plays a pivotal role in your overall growth and development as an adult. All of the events, feelings, actions an outcomes we observe is internalised and affects the way we choose to respond to certain events and interactions in later life.As children we lack the ability to make our own choices, so our parents do this for us. Therefore the outcomes cannot be avoided. This has an impact on our psychological development.Next, we will unpack Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and trauma.

Chapter One

For as long as I can remember, I have sat with the question of: What encourages individuals, including myself, to act and react in the ways that we do?Growing up in a Christian family, I was a confused child, with many questions and curiosities. From young you are taught to answer most of your questions by maintaining your 'faith.' As my questions grew, it became more difficult to answer all my questions the same way. Wanting to know more, I started doing my own research, went to university and attempted to find my own answers.I welcomed the pleasant and not so pleasant findings into my being.

How Does All The Information Relate To My Reality?

Exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences in children increases problems with learning and memory, which can both have permanent effects.How do ACEs Affect Physical Health? Frequent or prolonged exposure to ACEs can lead to toxic stress which damages the developing brain of a child and affects overall health. This leads to faulty decision making skills, anxiety, depression, anger. The issue arises when parents are unaware of the lasting negative impact these experiences have on their children.

How Do ACEs Affect A Child's Developing Brain?

What does a person do when they have seemingly exhausted all of their options to be heard? We live in a world that cares more about statistical outcomes they have forgotten about the individuals included within that number. I feel drawn to this place. Feel encouraged to share, talk, explore and safely tell the world what is on my mind.My name is Amber and I am a survivor!

Preface

Research found that ACEs had a vast impact on health outcomes later in life. The ACEs study noted that stress is a biological mechanism that all humans can experience. Traumatic events do not only happen to children, they occur inside their brains and bodies too.Stress causes the body to release cortisol. Prolonged exposure to high levels of cortisol, known as toxic stress, impacts the brain’s capacity & ability to learn. The definition of ACEs now includes the impact of racism, oppression, & community violence. The more ACEs experienced as children increases the likelihood of faulty choices<warningtag>.</warningtag>

Preface

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